Stability of Leapfrog Constant-Coefficients Semi-Implicit Schemes for the Fully Elastic System of Euler Equations: Case with Orography

Abstract

Abstract The stability of constant-coefficients semi-implicit schemes for the hydrostatic primitive equations and the fully elastic Euler equations in the presence of explicitly treated thermal residuals has been theoretically examined in the earlier literature, but only for the case of a flat terrain. This paper extends these analyses to a case in which an orography is present, in the shape of a uniform slope. It is shown, with mass-based coordinates, that for the Euler equations, the presence of a slope reduces furthermore the set of the prognostic variables that can be used in the vertical momentum equation to maintain the robustness of the scheme, compared to the case of a flat terrain. The situation appears to be similar for systems cast in mass-based and height-based vertical coordinates. Still for mass-based vertical coordinates, an optimal prognostic variable is proposed and is shown to result in a robustness similar to the one observed for the hydrostatic primitive equations system. The prognostic variables that lead to robust semi-implicit schemes share the property of having cumbersome evolution equations, and an alternative time treatment of some terms is then required to keep the evolution equation reasonably simple. This treatment is shown not to modify substantially the stability of the time scheme. This study finally indicates that with a pertinent choice for the prognostic variables, mass-based vertical coordinates are equally suitable as height-based coordinates for efficiently solving the compressible Euler equations system.